I’ve got Dark Elves on the brain. Heeeeheeee… they are so cool.
Ever try and give a cat a bath? Well, that was what it was like to get me to go with my wife to a culinary school half-day how-to-cook thing today.
Say, that reminds me of a story. When I was a kid we had some feral cats living in the neighbors wood pile (no, not a cord of firewood, actually a giant pile of haphazard scrap wood from torn-down houses). I decided to make one my pet, so I put out a metal cage and baited it with some meat. After catching the angry, growling feline, I extricated it and gave it a gentle hug. Surely love and kindness would tame the little beast. This miniature puma clawed its way on to the center of my back and latched on with its talons. I ran inside, hunched over, shrieking for my mom and sister to help me. They fended the creature off with a broom, leaving me to clean my wounds.
More about the cooking school thing later. For the record, this doesn’t mean I’m going to cooking school now. I think everyone knows what I think about paid education.
After that little shindig we headed over to Tamara’s sister’s house to drop something off, but ended up just hanging out for an hour. I got a call from the Bishop saying a family is moving in today.
Once back in the Ward boundaries, I headed over to lend a hand and managed to unload a size-able trailer by myself. A little Easter Island determination is all it takes! The family was also having a football party of sorts and so I headed in for some root beer and chips. I think this is the most football I’ve watched in my life.
Let’s back up a bit. So, I’m out by myself (the latecomer doing his penance) and a moving guy says “why aren’t you watching the game?” to which I replied I was the latecomer and needed to get things done. “Yeah, but you’re missing out on friends and family.” he replied. Well, this balding buddha in suspenders made a light go on. Sure, I don’t like football, but that’s not what it’s about. So, I think I’m going to start following it at least cursorily so when someone asks who I’m rooting for I’ll have an anwer rather than, “I don’t watch that game.” It’s not about the game, it’s about being part of the human race.
Just like fishing isn’t about catching fish.
I had K come over to give me a hand, and that was some good daddy-daughter time; work ethic and duty to the community. She loves football. I got to know this new family in the ward, too. They are really great, fresh from sunny Florida, all smiling and quick to top off your soda. I was favorably impressed with the lot of them.
After that I was bushed, but I headed down to the studio to tie up some loose ends. Air Marshall Anonymo came down to check out his Marauder Bombers (pics and vid of those forthcoming). I also picked up my Dark Elf book and Warhammer rulebook for review. I can’t wait for my next game. I am totally stoked. I’m within spitting distance of having 2000 pts of Dark Elves all painted up.
My wife was fast asleep when I got home. She is so pregnant and her feet and ankles are painfully swollen. When children come into the picture, love is complete.
Quthyx, lord of nature. This was in a dream I had. A man with a crown of wood and blue-green skin.
Here is my fabulous 1000 point army I used in my game against the Orcs today. My army had 33 models.
Cost to commission this army in December is $678 (eeeeverything included and shipped in the US– overseas $16 extra– within 30 days– includes 35% off on materials). Substitutions OK, but may alter price.
I don’t know what this eyesore is. My guess is Chakax, Eternity Warden which costs $15. Here’s what is impressing me. These models look great. Kroxigor haven’t been that impressive in previous editions, these at least look moderately beefy.
Stegadon sprue, packed to the gills like all the plastics nowadays. Never thought I would see it.
Got some mixed feelings here, but you can’t argue with the substance. This model is tremendous.
This picture is just too cool. It’s a Dark Elf Sorceress. I played a game of Warhammer Fantasy with Mike D. today, the maiden voyage for my DE army that I’ve been picking away at. In the game, the sorceress is a deadly opponent with some wicked spells.
At this moment I am at home with my own three kids, and three more little ones from a neighbor, a full house. They are all playing quietly, watching Zula Patrol, or playing board games. Very nice. I am ever so proud of my fourth grade daughter. She made sure everyone had dinner and that the kitchen got cleaned up.
I am currently booking projects for December. Please contact me for any matter large or small.
I have not kept up on the blog as faithfully as usual. When I get home at night I am just ever so tired. Just these last three days. I don’t know why. Instead of doing a final run like I usually do, I just fall asleep. But then I’m up at 3am. It’s lame.
As always, my mind is boiling with politics, taxes, business, sales, and other worries. However, under all this is a swelling sense of peace and well-being. I look up at the sky and I see a vast and brilliant galaxy of friendly stars, a countless chorus of radiant brothers and I know that I am just a pilgrim in this world, a passer-through. I am a spiritual being having a material experience. I am ready to go. I am ready to stay and fight.
Josephus is back from vacation and he brought back some daemons that were out of sight, beyond amazing stuff. I wanted to shoot some footage of it, but barely had time to get the Warhammer Fantasy batrep done.
What else can I say? I could sure use some orders rightabout now.
Picture: some ships I made for AI, Tyranids. I’m playing a game this Saturday.
The base is only temporary. They will have regular AI bases when done.
For some reason, the last few nights I’ve arrived home, I am absolutely tired; eyelids heavy and ready to collapse on the couch. Strange.
I took G for a walk yesterday morning. He was riding on my shoulders. It was like carrying around a sack of cement and it whacked out my back. Ouch. But I think it’s feeling better now.
I got up bright and early this morning and started cracking on emails, as usual. Sarah and I got a LOT done today. I’ve got a morning show AND another video still to post.
I am beat. I’m going to bed. I had better get up early tomorrow to catch up.
Picture: a Reptus Warrior by Reaper miniatures. Check out his shield.
I was up bright an early, with a long race ahead. First things first, I constructed an alternate back carapace to the Tyranid Bio-Titan. The first one was too flat and looked like a horse-shoe crab. You can’t see the new one yet, but will likely see it all finished in about a week. I am please with how it turned out, that was a brain-child long in gestation.
I also managed to finished to repeater bolt throwers for my Ice Elves army, so I’m not ready to take all comers in Warhammer Fantasy. It’s high time to have a game!
Joseph is out this week (but still working on the second installment of Wyches of Thoth).
Sarah and I tag-teamed the various administrative tasks down at the studio, getting out a half-dozen projects or so, and getting Payroll ready for disbursal.
I am still booking projects for December, and running the various specials outlined below.
Once home, I was surrounded by my angelic snooches. G wants nothing more than to ride around on my shoulders, even in the house. He lays his sweet head down on my hair like a pillow.
A friend of Tamies came by tonight, her daughter is Kay’s age. We sat around and shot the bull about dating, marriage, and what makes men tick.
For politics, I am going to engage in a new excercise and entertain the possibility that all is well and that the gov, is doing a good job. Look forward to that.
Right now, I am about to settle in with the good woman to watch an episode of Heroes. Sweet.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to all our clients. Each one is precious, I have absolutely not illusions: we are lucky to be in business.
“First, consider the effects of inflation by which we mean the Fed’s increase in the supply of money, on the value of the dollar. By increasing the supply of money, the Federal Reserve lowers the value of every dollar that already exists. If the supply of Mickey Mantle baseball cards were suddenly to increase a million fold, each individual card would become almost valueless. The same principle applies to money: the more the Fed creates the less value each individual monetary unit possesses. When the money supply is increased, prices rise—with each new dollar now worth less than before…
“All right, some may say, prices may indeed rise, but so do wages and salaries, and therefore inflation causes no real problems on net. This misconception overlooks one of the most insidious and immoral effects of inflation: its redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the politically well connected. The price increases that take place as a result of inflation do not occur all at once and to the same degree. Those who receive the new money first receive it before the prices have yet risen. They enjoy a windfall. Meanwhile, as they spend the new money, and the next wave of recipients spend it, and so on, prices begin to rise throughout the economy—well before the new money has trickled down to most people. The average person is now paying higher prices while still earning his old income, which has not yet been adjusted to account for the higher money supply. By the time the new money has made its way throughout the economy, average people have all this time been paying higher prices, and only now can begin to break even. The enrichment of the politically well connected—In other words those who get the newly created money first: government contractors, big banks and the like—comes at the direct expense of everyone else. These are known as the distribution effects, or Cantillon effects, of inflation, after economist Richard Cantillon. The average person is silently robbed through this invisible means and usually doesn’t’ understand what exactly is happening to him. And almost no one in the political establishment has an incentive to tell him.
“When the value of Americans’ savings is deliberately eroded through inflation, which is a tax, albeit a hidden one. I call it the inflation tax, a tax that is all the more insidious for being so underhanded: most Americans have no idea what causes it or why their standard of living is going down. Meanwhile, government and its favored constituencies receive their ill-gotten loot. The racket is safe as long as no one figures out what is going on.
The cage door opened, but we weren’t ready to venture out. Maybe Ron Paul will run again in 2012.
Anyhoo. Aren’t you tired of my constant jib-jabbing about politics? Yeah, me too.
We are currently booking projects for December. I still have those specials running (see below). If you are flexible on composition and license, we can be flexible on price.
My thoughtful daughter likes to come out and putter around in the garage while I’m making terrain (which I was for most of today– I’ve got a Daemonhunters display board and a TON of tyranid hive ship terrain cooking). She comes up with most insightful sayings, like this one:
Sometimes, when you make a mistake, it gives you new ideas.
It was a crisp autumn day, with highs in the mid 50s, good terrain-making weather. Well, not really, I was freezing my buns off as the sun sank down and the temperature dropped into the 30s. My wife made a lunch of grilled chees sandwiches with tomato soup.
I am possibly going to phase out terrain-making from BTP’s repertoire. It almost invariably brings heartache of some kind.
I also have ready to paint the last round of the studio Dark Elves: 10x Black Guard 10x Dark Riders 2x Repeater Bolt Throwers
I’ll see how much of an in-road I can make on those.
I had hoped to finish the construction of the tyranid hive ship terrain, but didn’t quite make it. I gave up really, just so tired. I then took the kids to Macey’s to pick up some milk. Macey’s is closed on Sundays so Saturday is always really busy, it’s almost like a town market. All are in high spirits, and I usually see people I know there. I carried G. on my shoulders where he is on top of the world, like a little prince. When he gets tired I can feel him lay his cherubic face on my head. As always, I ended up picking up like ten things besides milk.
That little trip gave my ultra-pregnant wife some much-needed rest. She’s plowing through the Twilight series of books, pretty much all she’s good for these days, but like we say; “pregnant lady gets a pass.” She is highly uncomfortable, and I try to accomodate as much as possible.
We are happy in our little lair. I feel a deep and abiding sense of peace. I am on a quest to find equilibrium, to divest myself of material things, to be a wise steward, to live well within my means, and to serve others.
Army wide special rule: I think it’s called Platoon Drill or something like that. Basically, units from the same platoon may ignore intervening squads when shooting. So enemy units targeted in this way do not receive the 4+ save. Apparently this only works if the Platoon command squad is alive and within 12” of the rest of the platoon. I’ve been told that this is just one of the abilities guard Platoons may get, but only as long as the chain of command is intact (whatever that means). So loosing your HQ Command Squad may be a really bad thing.
Doctrines are for sure gone (I think we all knew this), but have been replaced by more mutable platoons. Instead of Armoured fist squads you can buy Chimeras for a whole platoon. Or buy the whole platoon grav-chutes to give them deep strike, or drop the heavy weapons from squads and give the platoon Scout. Veteran squads become upgrades to platoons (i.e. they are not elites anymore).
Apparently infantry platoons let you attach certain types of support vehicles to them(kinda like back in second edition). Things like sentinels, hellhounds and demolishers can be attached to platoons. They still take up a FOC spot, but become part of the platoon and so will benefit from the Platoon Drill rule.
The Leman Russ can be bought as a squadron so you can get 3 for a single FOC. They can not be attached to platoons however.
Sniper Squads can now infiltrate, get stealth, range finders and all models in the squad have sniper rifles (and BS 4!).
Like the Land Raider, a new plastic sprue for the Leman Russ has been made that will allow plastic demolishers and a 3rd variant (my money is on the Exterminator).
The Baneblade in NOT in the new codex. It just doesn’t work (i.e. overpowered) in games that are not Apocalypse in size.
However Stormtrooper squads can now take Valkyries as transports. Both will be getting a plastic kit. Valkyries follow the rules for skimmers I’ve been told. Again, they want to keep flyers and super heavies out of “normal games” but give people the ability to use them with all the special rules in Apocalypse and Planet-strike (if the ever get around to that.)
This last one makes me wonder what’s they are doing, but apparently there is a new HQ in the book; Inquisitor and Retinue much like the elites from the current Daemon Hunters/Witch Hunters books.
My Comments
Assuming this is all accurate…
First, as I predicted, more tanks will be allowed, and high time in my book. I had an IG army with like seven heavy support options, but could only take three at a time. So sad.
I would be glad to see models from another range, ie Inquisition, in other lists. The more the merrier.
I didn’t see anything about Storm Troopers as troops choice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was in there. And a plastic kit for them. This is along the lines of new Core-type plastics with each new army update.
I am sorry to see doctrines go away. More customization is better. Of course, this is being accompanied by streamlining and expanding choices overall in new army lists, so that is a step in the right direction.
